Ramona Falls

Brent Knopf is obviously a talented guy. Until recently, he comprised one-third of Portland band Menomena, but hes also a multi-instrumentalist, an Ivy League graduate (Dartmouth 00) and a programming whizhe designed Deeler, the looping software that Menomena used to mold their distinctively layered sound. Knopf left Menomena in January after more than 10 years, deciding to fully devote his time to his solo project, Ramona Falls. On 2009s Intuit, the first and only Ramona Falls release, Knopf crafts the same kind of cerebral pop songs that made his former band so successful, but voice as a songwriter shines through in a way it never did before, unencumbered by Menomenas inherently collaborative nature. His live show offers the intriguing possibility to see all that talent focused in one place. With Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Land of Pines, Kithkin. ANDREW GOSPE